In besieged Azimir, Adolin pushes himself to walk on his peg leg despite pain because he expects to be called into battle before night is over. Forced to rest briefly, he plays towers with Emperor Yanagawn, with May Aladar joining them. While they play, reports confirm how dire the wider war has become: the Shattered Plains are lost, only a few exhausted Windrunners might be able to reach Azimir, and Navani cannot provide much Light.

The game becomes a lesson in politics and war. Yanagawn takes an early lead, but Adolin and May quietly align against the strongest player and defeat him. Adolin uses the result to teach Yanagawn that in conflicts with three or more powers, obvious strength invites coalitions, so survival requires caution, alliances, or overwhelming force. The lesson is cut short when desperate horns sound, calling every remaining able-bodied defender to the line.

Adolin prepares to fight even though he is injured, and Maya tells him she is getting closer to bringing help from the beads, though not soon enough to save the coming night by certainty alone. Realizing the battle may be lost, Adolin orders Yanagawn taken to a saferoom because the emperor's survival is now Azir's last hope. As the calls grow more urgent, Adolin and May head for the reserve tent to join the final defense.

Elsewhere, Shallan enters another vision and finds Mraize sitting atop a dead greatshell near the sea. She considers killing him with her anti-Light knife, but hesitates because of their complicated history and because he appears to be waiting for her. In their conversation, Mraize reveals his longing to travel to other worlds, admits he is being punished for failing to recruit her properly, and implies he could reduce that punishment by killing her. Shallan realizes he is deliberately keeping her occupied while Iyatil searches for Ba-Ado-Mishram's prison, and after the vision breaks she decides she must stop avoiding the visions and instead let Odium show her more, hoping the clues will lead her to the prison first.

In Shinovar, Kaladin cooks while Nale, shaken after his breakdown, admits he wants to become the man he once was. Nale gives Szeth his Honorblade for safekeeping and then reveals a major truth: there was never an Unmade behind Shinovar's corruption; Ishar accessed a fraction of Odium's power, connected himself to the land, and deceived the Honorbearers by appearing divine and prophetic. This confession proves Szeth was never Truthless in the way his people claimed. With Nale believing there may still be hope for him, the group resolves to travel through the night to the final monastery, gather Stormlight from Nale's hidden cache, and confront Ishar by dawn, while Kaladin recognizes that even a broken Herald may still be helped.